Creating a Profession for PLM Practitioners

The Home of Professional PLM

The PLM industry needs a recognised, worldwide professional structure for the people who work within it. The Professional PLM Initiative has been set up to fulfil this need.

The Initiative covers the whole spectrum of what it means to be 'professional' in PLM.  This will be a significant step forward, and will change the way that PLM practitioners work.

The Initiative is inclusive and interactive.  This web site shows the latest developments, and how you can get involved.

The White Paper sets out a comprehensive explanation of how professionalism can improve the PLM industry.  If the Vision is to be realised, there must be an actionable plan to reach it.

The next step, therefore, was to define the overall programme for the next 12 months by holding an open, trans-Atlantic Industry Planning Forum.  This took place on-line on Wednesday 18 October.

			The Initiative is being actively followed in 26 countries, and the Forum will bring many of these countries together in one place at one time. The potential for harmonisation and exchange of expertise across this geographical range is enormous.

When it comes to deciding the route to a profession there are several viable options, and the Forum brought together supporters of the Initiative to agree which is the best to take forward.  It was the first step in making professionalism live and real.

This was not a theoretical discussion but an active planning meeting.  The PLMIG showed the possibilities, but the delegates decided on the actions.

The initial session was be held in the North America morning / European afternoon to make it accessible from both sides of the Atlantic.  Other timings may follow according to demand.

PLM is a global activity, and it is logical to aim for a single profession that caters for practitioners everywhere.

This means that the discussion should be global.  Of course there is no such thing as a 'global time zone', so the Forum may be run over two or three sessions in order that participants from anywhere in the world have the chance to take part.

The Forum was intended for PLM practitioners from all parts of the industry - users, vendors, systems integrators and consultants.  An important feature was that there were no pre-assumptions about the results.  All viewpoints were welcome, and were worked into the overall findings.

See the Agenda >>>

The Forum opened with a presentation by the PLMIG on the work that has been done so far on a developing a profession, starting with the birth of the Initiative in 2017 and running to the present relaunch.  It covered the arguments that have been put forward for and against the idea, and the evolution of the current rationale.

After the break the PLMIG outlined the paths towards a profession that have been proposed by the Steering Group, and also illustrated the various other options that are possible.  Delegates then took charge in the Working Session, which allowed the Group to come to its own conclusions about what should happen next.

The PLMIG has produced a Summary Document which is downloadable below.

Download a copy of the Summary Document, see what you think, and follow the Initiative as it moves on to the next stage.

Feedback on the document and further information can be found via industryforum@professionalplm.org.

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